


Benevolence

by HaveCourageAndBeKind



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adoption, Eventual Romance, F/M, Harry is a Good Friend, Holidays, Light Angst, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-30
Updated: 2018-10-30
Packaged: 2019-08-11 01:25:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16466051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HaveCourageAndBeKind/pseuds/HaveCourageAndBeKind
Summary: "After having children, life becomes about living beyond yourself; about being bigger and better." - Jaclyn SmithA story of how children can motivate you to become a better person, and even help you fall in love.





	Benevolence

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Strictly Dramione 2018 Halloween Fest.
> 
> Thank you so much to LaBelladoneX for Beta'ing this piece so last minute for me! You're amazing <3

 

* * *

**Before**

* * *

 

 **_Malfoy Manor, March 1998_ ** __

_“Mmm, witch. You taste delectable.” She trembled as he swiped his foul tongue over the expanse of her neck. “You’ll be my bitch soon enough.” He nipped at her neck and she had a burst of adrenaline course through her body. She drove her head back hard against his skull, but didn’t hear a satisfying crack. She knew her escape was wishful thinking._

_Instead, he seemed to become more excited over her violence, grinding his arousal into her backside. He pulled her arms closer together behind her back as she tried to squirm away, further than they were physically supposed to go. He chuckled deeply when she refused to let out a cry of pain._

_“Wrong move, witch. You want rough? I can give you rough.” He shoved her against the nearest tree, bringing her face to face again with the devil. He leered at her and she forced herself not to gag at the blood streaming out of his mouth, unsure of whether it was from her own force or someone else’s. She knew of his bloodlust; she knew he would want to play with his food before his meal, so why did she think it was a good idea to get away? She knew her chances of survival went from slim to none as soon as Dobby Apparated Harry and Ron away without her._

_He seemed to understand the knowing look in her eye and lowered his mouth to her ear. “Are you finally going to be a good little pet?”_

* * *

_Pet. That is what her life has become. A body for a deranged witch to torture for hours to the brink of insanity. A plaything for a monster. A pet. A Mudblood._

_Mudblood Mudblood Mudblood_

_She refused to look down at her left arm. She didn’t need to look to know what was there. She knew that it would still be there when the pain faded. It would always be there. Haunting her. Reminding her of what she was to everyone else._

_A Mudblood._

_Where did her confidence go? Her bravery? Her fight?_ Why _was she no longer fighting?_

_Right. They left her. They left her there with savages that didn’t even see her as a human. There was no way of her getting away alive._

_“Moon’s going to be up soon, witch, then you are all mine.” He growled out the last few syllables and she tried not to cry. There was no point in crying. There was no one there to save her; she should just accept her fate._

_He chained her to the tree and stepped back to divest himself on his shredded clothing. She looked away, knowing he had no shame in his nudity and completely disregarded her uncomfortableness of the situation._

_She closed her eyes as she heard the noise of bones snapping and resetting. She wished she didn’t know that sound. That god-awful sound._

_He howled._

_She yelled._

_She cried and screamed. Why? Why? Why?_

_She locked eyes with the beast as he lunged at her._

_She howled in pain as his teeth sunk into her leg._

_Why? Why? Why?_

_He pulled backed and she swore that the fucking werewolf was smiling at her, happy that she was in pain. Happy to finally have her._

_She knew that mark was just the beginning. She knew where his final destination was, the juncture of her neck and shoulder. He would mate her and she would be his forever. Her life would be over._

_She was as good as dead._

_The werewolf licked its lips, making sure to devour every last drop of her. He began to pace in front of her, deciding on where to attack next._

_Her side. The bite burned through her. She felt like she was on fire._

_Darkness licked the edge of her vision and her head felt heavy all of a sudden._

_She heard something fly through the air and the angry growl of the wolf on top of her. The predator pounced off of her and she could barely make out an altercation._

_Who would be willing to fight the beast?_

_She turned her head to follow the noise but the darkness began to swallow her faster._

_A grunt. A thud._

_“Granger? Granger! Fuck!”_

_“Granger? Can you hear me?”_

_“Granger! Stay with me!”_

_Fuck!_

_Everything went black._

* * *

**_Shell Cottage, April 1998_ **

_The door slammed open. “HELP! Bill, Fleur, get in here now!”_

_Harry heard the shout from above, followed by two pairs of feet running down the stairs. He left his room and slowly crept down the stairs to hear what was going on._

_“Where the fuck was she?”_

_“Bill! Language.”_

_“Who the fuck cares right now, Fleur! Look at her.”_

_A feminine sigh. “She’s a mess, but it looks like someone already tried to patch her up. Badly, but the attempt is there.”_

_“Remus, do you smell it?”_

_A fist through the wall. “Yes. Have the boys told you about what happened at the Manor yet?”_

_“No, Harry’s been inconsolable. Ron’s been acting guilty but still won’t say anything.”_

_The Manor? That must mean—_

_Harry ran down the stairs. “Hermione,” he shouted desperately._

_When he made it to the kitchen, the first thing he saw was an enraged Remus trying to push him back out of the room. “Please, Harry. Not now.”_

_“Hermione—”_

_“She’s in bad shape, but alive.”_

_“Where did you find her?” Harry tried to look past Remus’s shoulder and only caught a glimpse of a lifeless body on the kitchen table._

_Remus ran his hands through his hair. “Someone brought her to Andromeda’s and left her at the door. We don’t know who or how they got past the wards.”_

_“But she’s going to be okay?” Harry looked up at him hopefully, needing some sort of good news. This was all his fault._

_“I don’t know, Harry. Time doesn’t necessarily heal all wounds.”_

_With that, Remus closed the door. Harry waited outside for an hour, hoping for any sign of life._

_Nothing._

_He went up to bed and stared blankly at his ceiling for the rest of the night._

_When he finally dragged himself out of bed in the morning, he walking into the kitchen while yawning and wiping the exhaustion from his eyes._

_When he finally focused on the scene, Ron was sitting at the table eating a bowl of cereal._

_“Hey, mate.” Harry heard the spoon hit the milk and clink the bottom of the bowl,  then a slurp—_

_But all he could stare at was the damn table._

_The table where, just hours ago, Hermione’s lifeless body laid._

_“Mate, you don’t look so good.”_

_Harry ran to the sink and vomited, knowing the tears falling down his face were not from the exertion of throwing up._

_This was all his fault._

* * *

**_Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, May 2 1998_ **

_He’s staring at me._

_Why is he staring at me?_

_Hermione ran through the Room of Hidden Things._

_She pretended not to care that Draco Malfoy was staring at her oddly as she ran to find the Diadem._

_She pretended that her heart didn’t race when she saved him from Crabbe’s Fiendfyre with his hands wrapped tightly on her hips. Why did she feel like she could no longer breathe when he touched her? When she was close enough to smell him—_

_As soon as the broom touched down in the corridor he ran away._

_She pretended that her heart didn’t ache when he didn’t turn back around._

* * *

**_Grimmauld Place, May 1999_ **

_“I’m sorry,” Harry cried with his back against the door as he heard the tell-tale sign of his friend transforming a few meters below._

_“I’m so sorry.”_

_He hoped he could finally get his Animagus form down and soon, because he couldn’t take this heartache anymore. The feeling that he couldn’t do anything for her other than bare the weight of her cries of pain every month._

_Ron told him he was bonkers, and Hermione told him it wasn’t necessary, but it was the only thing he could do for now._

* * *

**_Malfoy Manor, June 1999_ **

_He hugged the girl close to her chest as he watched his parents digest what he just told them._

_His father snarled, signaling his distaste for his decision, but he expected that. He knew his father couldn’t really say or do anything to oppose him, his crimes in the War stripping him of the title ‘Lord Malfoy’._

_That title now belonged to him. His mother’s approval was what he was searching for; he knew he couldn’t do this without her._

_His mother stared at the little girl with uncontrollable curls and wide cinnamon brown eyes staring back at her. She noticed the unnatural golden ring that engulfed the little girl’s pupil. She looked to her son and raised one sleek eyebrow, the unspoken question hanging in the air._

_“She’s one of the girls that Greyback turned as a baby. They took her when the Aurors finally found and raided his pack. She has no one else.”_

_“I can’t believe you would bring a Muggle into our home,” his father hissed at him._

_“She’s a little girl,” Draco spoke loudly, causing the girl in his arms to whimper and begin to cry. He soothed her hair and ssh-ed her, rocking her side to side. “She’s now my little girl.”_

_His mother stepped closer to them and Draco brought the girl closer into his chest, protecting her from any harm. Narcissa just clucked her tongue at him and held out her arms, waiting for Draco to finally hand her over._

_Draco cautiously untangled the girl’s arms from around his neck and gently placing her in his mother’s embrace._

_Narcissa cooed and began to hum a lullaby, one Draco recognized immediately. It was the one she sang whenever he was upset. He watched as his little girl relaxed her muscles and melted against his mother._

_“Nana will have to do. Grandmother makes me feel ancient. Will you do a blood adoption?”_

_Lucius scoffed, “Unbelievable, the both of you!”_

_He cowered after seeing the glare his wife sent him._

_Draco relaxed._

* * *

**_Grimmauld Place, July 2000_ **

_“Mama!”_

_“No Teddy,_ My-Knee _.” She enunciated each syllable slowly._

_“Ma-ma.” The toddler mocked her over enunciation._

_“’Mione, give it up already. You’re his mother,” Harry walked into the room and chuckled at the glare the little boy was giving Hermione. Teddy looked to be the spitting image of her and rarely took any other form. He now refused to stay at Andromeda’s house for longer than a night or two without putting up a fight. He made it clear to everyone who he wanted._

_Teddy had latched onto Hermione the moment he saw her. It had been that way after he had an extended stay at Grimmauld Place when Andromeda came down with Dragon Pox and had to be placed in isolation at St. Mungo’s. When she finally was released and brought Teddy home, she realized she couldn’t keep the baby quiet longer than twenty minutes. After three days of exhaustion, she finally returned with Teddy for a break. The moment he was back in Hermione’s arms, he instantly settled down and fell right to sleep. Hermione and Teddy had been almost inseparable since._

_She sighed. “I just don’t want to replace Tonks and Remus, Harry. I’m not even his Godmother, what right do I have?”_

_“I know, love, but don’t undermine what you have done for him. You are the one who feeds him, changes him, bathes him. You are the one who kisses his booboos- ” Harry reached over and bonked Teddy on the nose before bringing his hand to the toddler’s stomach “-and tickles his tummy.” Harry tickled the little boy causing him to cry out in laughter._

_“You are the one he goes to whenever he’s in any sort of discomfort,” he continued, “and you provide him the consolation he needs. Remus and Tonks will never be forgotten, Hermione, because none of us will let them be, but_ you _are his mother.”_

_“Mama, luff you.”_

_Hermione looked between both of them before bursting into tears. “Yes, baby, mama loves you too.”_

_Harry rubbed her back and winked at Teddy. “Don’t forget who else you love, kiddo.”_

_“Doggy, doggy, doggy!”_

_Harry sighed. “Be grateful, Hermione, this is who I’ll always be to him.”_

_Teddy giggled. “Woof!”_

_“Why did I have to be a dog? Why couldn’t I have been a deer like my dad, or even a Grim.”_

_Hermione wiped her eyes and tried to cough over her laugh._

_“Yes, Teddy,_ Uncle Harry _will play with you.”_

_“Doggy! Ride!” He threw his chubby arms up in excitement as Harry transformed into a German Shepherd. He barked playfully and wagged his tail, going over to Teddy and licking his cheek._

_“Ew! Gross.” Teddy giggled as he wiped the slobber from his cheek._

_“Mama, up!” Hermione picked him up and set him on Harry’s back. He wrapped his arms around the dog and gently kicked Harry’s sides. “Hyah!”_

_Hermione watched the two play with each other with ease as Harry carted Teddy around. He complied to the toddler when he tried to get off and poked him suddenly, yelling “tag” and running away._

_She looked out the window at the setting sun, sighing at the fact that she would have to go down to the basement soon. It would just be a matter of time._

* * *

**_Draco Malfoy’s Cottage, August 2000_ **

_“Pansy, can you hear me?” Draco had his Muggle phone pressed in between his shoulder and his ear as he tried to wrestle Cordelia Malfoy into her Minnie Mouse pajamas._

_“Pansy, I really need your help! Lia please, settle down, princess.”_

_“I want my Aunt Pansy!” She stood up on the bed and began to jump with only her pants on._

_“Pans,_ please _._ _Okay, Lia she’ll be here soon. Now please, sit down so I can put on your jammies.”_

_Cordelia jumped one last time and landed on her bum on the bed, grinning like a cheshire cat. “You tire me out, little one.” He sighed in relief as she held her arms over her head and let Draco put a shirt on her. He took a comb and brushed through her wet locks before braiding her hair to tame it._

_“Is the moon coming out tonight, Daddy?”_

_“No, little one, it’s coming out tomorrow.”_

_She pushed out her lip and pouted. “But I want to play!”_

_Draco barked out a laugh. “We’ll play all tomorrow night. I can’t control the moon, little one.”_

_“Hey, Daddy?”_

_“Yes, princess?”_

_“Thank you for always staying with me.” He looked at her twinkling eyes and sighed, a sign of him giving in._

_“Fine, but only until Aunt Pansy comes. I need to rest up if you want me to stay awake with you tomorrow night.”_

_Cordelia clapped her hands as Draco transformed into his Animagus form. After he performed the blood adoption on Cordelia, he decided to try to help her transformations. He hated hearing her lonely cries at night and his heart broke knowing he couldn’t be with her._

_“Wolfie!”_

_Draco nudged his little girl with his muzzle, causing her to laugh. He laid down, allowing him to be at eye level with her with his head in the air. She looped her arms around him. “I love you, Daddy.”_

_He nuzzled against her, a silent ‘I love you too’._

* * *

**_Grimmauld’ Place, September 2001_ **

_Hermione sat at the kitchen table mindlessly stirring her tea as Ron and Harry talked about Auror business. The trio tried to get together a couple times a week, something that became harder to manage after Ron and Hermione moved out of Grimmauld Place. Ron was currently living with his fiancé, Padma Patil. Everyone was shocked when they announced their relationship but the pair suited each other nicely. Padma worked as a healer, but had no objections to dialing back her hours once they decided to start having kids._

_Harry vehemently protested when Hermione decided to get her own place the previous November. As much as she loved being around Harry, and having his help with a restless Teddy, she knew it was time for her and Teddy to find a home. She hated knowing that since Ginny left him to play professionally for the Holyhead Harpies, he had trouble finding a serious girlfriend who was okay with Hermione and Teddy staying with him. Their jealousy was always a sign for Harry to dump them, but Hermione honestly couldn’t blame them. Harry constantly put Hermione and Teddy first before everyone and everything. She understood why too - they were pack. It may be a small pack but they were family. But she couldn’t do that to him any longer; she needed a place for just her and Teddy._

_Once Hermione finally accepted her place in Teddy’s life - no longer trying to disregard her status as his ‘mum’ - they fell into a comfortable routine. With his Grandmother’s blessing, Hermione officially adopted Teddy and she couldn’t deny what a wonderful feeling it was. Their bond together was already strong, but after the adoption, her magic could sense her son’s discomfort before she heard him. Teddy seemed more at ease as well and became more willing to spend more days apart from Hermione, instead of hanging off her leg at every moment._

_Harry had gone with them to help them look for a place of their own. As much as he disapproved, he knew how important it was for Hermione to find a house to make a home for her family. He wanted to make sure there was plenty of space for Hermione to roam at night without putting anyone else in danger or worrying about Muggles spotting her. Harry knew how much Hermione hated being in the basement at Grimmauld’s every month, and he admitted that it would be nice to run around with her outside as well._

_It had taken all of October to look, the Real Estate witch certainly was not pleased with them. Either it was too close to civilization, or didn’t have a big enough library, or enough rooms for guests. The decision always came down to Teddy in the end, and every house they visited he had scrunched up his nose in distaste. Until the day they visited Cromwell Cottage and they all fell in love. It was perfectly charming. It had everything they wanted and more, and when Teddy squealed in delight, they bought it on the spot. Harry, Andromeda, and the entire Weasley clan helped them move in three days later._

_Hermione’s favorite spot in the entire cottage was a large padded window seat. Every night she would curl up with Teddy on her lap and read with him as they watched the moon rise. It had taken a long time but Hermione felt more and more comfortable with her transformations and her inner wolf. When she finally accepted her inner wolf - Jezebel - she learned more about werewolves than she ever had in her research. She learned that the Wolfsbane potion was more akin to poison for the wolf and slowly deteriorated the health of every werewolf that took it. She quit her small desk job at the Ministry and worked from home full-time, drafting new legislations for werewolves and writing all of her research down for publication._

_Harry helped Hermione whenever he could when she needed to meet with Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister of Magic, or Richard Barth, the head of the Being Division at the Ministry._

_Hermione honestly loved her life but she couldn’t help but feel like there was a part of her missing. She never brought it up to Harry, knowing if she seemed unhappy at all that he would make it his personal life goal to make sure she had everything she needed. Hermione couldn’t take any more of the self sacrifices that he made for her._

_“—Ron, I really think you should give Malfoy a chance. He really has changed.”_

_Hermione snapped her head up, her teaspoon clinking her mug as she dropped it in surprise._

_“Malfoy?” She asked quietly, feeling her heart race inside of her chest and her entire body flame up in warmth._

_“Not you too, Hermione,” Harry sighed. “He’s really done well for himself. He started three different charities after the war, overseeing all of them but directly involved in the development of a school for Muggle-born students. He’s somehow replicated the list in Hogwarts, but he’s been using it to inform Muggle parents with magical children much younger than eleven.”_

_Hermione felt her mouth go dry; Malfoy was doing_ what _? How had she never heard of this before?_

_Ron snorted. “Yeah, it’s probably just a ploy to make sure the Malfoy name is no longer a disgrace.”_

_Hermione hissed at him. “Shut up, Ron.”_

_Ron blanched. “Woah, Hermione. Your eyes…”_

_Harry leaned over and turned Hermione’s face towards him, noticing her deep amber eyes. Her breathing finally slowed and she shook her head._

_She blinked._

_Her eyes went back to brown._

_“What the bloody hell was that?” Ron asked in exasperated voice._

_“I’m so sorry, Ronald. I have no idea.” Hermione looked at Harry with worry and he grabbed her hand._

_Their silence was broken by a clatter in the other room. Hermione stood up abruptly._

_“Teddy! What have you gotten into now? I swear that boy is a Marauder by blood.”_

_Harry followed her out and Ron reached for The Daily Prophet._

_“Ugh!” He slammed the paper back down after a few moments. “Bloody fuck! The Canons haven’t won a match all season!”_

* * *

**_Draco Malfoy’s Cottage, October 31st 2001_ **

_“Now aren’t you the prettiest Little Red Riding Hood I ever did see.” Draco watched his daughter giggle and spin around, the blood red cloak floating around her as she moved. He knew she got a kick out of the irony of_ her _being Little red._

_“Remember to stay close to me tonight.” He gave Cordelia a pointed look. She rolled her eyes._

_“Yes, Daddy. No leaving your sight. No talking to strangers other than “trick or treat” at their door and thanking them for candy. No eating the candy before you check it over. I know the rules, I’m not a little girl anymore.”_

_He smirked at his six year old who had her hands on her hips and a fiery expression on her face. She was so eerily similar to the Granger he remembered from the first years of Hogwarts that it was spooky. He reached down and pulled a curl before letting it spring back up._

_“You will always be my little girl.” She smiled at him and he felt her small hand reach for his._

_“Alright it’s time for candy! Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” She tugged on his arm and he let her ‘drag’ him out the door._

_They had two successful hours of trick or treating before the sun set. Draco suddenly felt his daughter stiffen at his side and dig her nails into his hand. “Daddy, we need to go home.” She gave him a worried look that he didn’t question. He knew she had heightened senses and figured he would ask her more questions later instead of prolonging her strained state._

_Draco looked around for an isolated spot to Apparate home. They were in a Muggle town and he knew he would be in a great deal of trouble if he pulled his wand, especially on a night where so many Muggles were out and about._

_He spotted a wooded area nearby and veered towards it. Just as they were about to make it out of sight, Draco fell to the ground, completely bound._

_“Lia, run! A magical person is here. Please!”_

_A second later he was hit by another hex and Cordelia screamed. She felt all of this rage and power within her body. With tears running down her face, she felt the energy expel from her body, and she saw two hooded figures drop to the ground._

_And then she ran._

_She had no idea where, but knew exactly where to go._

_She ran for what felt like an eternity before coming across a cottage in a clearing in the woods. Her little feet sped up as she felt a pull towards the house, and before she went to knock on the door, it flew open, allowing her to run inside._

_“Help!” She screamed._

_She felt tired._

_Oh, so very tired._

_She had to lie down._

_She saw a pretty woman run down stairs._

_“Oh, Merlin. Harry!”_

_The woman ran to her side and pulled out a wand._

_“Are you a witch?”_

_She felt warm hands on her face. The lady smelled nice. She nuzzled into the touch._

_“Yes, honey. Who are you? What’s wrong, sweetie?”_

_Cordelia could fell anxiousness pour out from the woman._

_“My daddy is hurt. Someone sent a spell with their wand and he fell to the ground. He told me to run before they made him sleep. Something happened though. I felt... magical. Daddy told me I may not be because my parents were Muggles but I was so angry. I put two wizards to sleep and then I ran here.”_

_She started crying again and the woman held her to her side, gently rocking her back and forth, cooing to her softly._

_A man ran into the room. “Mione, who is this?” He sounded confused. Lia understood, she felt confused too but she oddly felt comfortable too. The woman’s scent was very soothing._

_“I have no idea, Harry. She said her father was hurt - stunned by two other wizards. Sweetie, can you tell me your name?”_

_“Lia.”_

_She yawned._

_“Lia, sweetie, what about a last name?”_

_“Malfoy.”_

_“Harry, go now!”_

_The man sprinted out of the room and Cordelia felt a bit of clarity._

_“You’re like me. You’re a child of the moon.”_

_The woman relaxed. “Yes, just like you.”_

_A little boy came in with brown unruly curls just like hers. Well, his hair was much shorter._

_“Mummy, are we going for candy?”_

_“No, Teddy, I’m sorry but there’s been a bit of an accident. Mummy and Uncle Harry won’t be able to take you.”_

_The boy, Teddy, pursed his lips before looking at her and tilting his head._

_“Who’s this?”_

_“I’m Lia,” the little girl wiggled out of the woman’s grasp and went to find the bag she dropped once she ran into the house. She handed it to the woman. “I went trick or treating with Daddy, I have plenty of candy to share.” She felt another yawn._

_“Thank you, Lia, how about we get you into jammies and tuck you into bed? You look tired, sweetheart.”_

_Cordelia leaned forward and rested her head on the woman. “I am pretty sleepy, but I want to make sure Daddy is okay.”_

_“I promise you I will take good care of your Daddy, I just need you to get some rest.”_

_Cordelia nodded before resting her nose in the crook of the woman’s neck. “Thanks Mummy.”_

_She drifted to sleep._

* * *

**After**

* * *

**Cromwell Cottage, October 31, 2001**

Hermione didn’t have the heart to correct the girl who looked so peaceful in her slumber. She could tell the girl obviously went through a traumatic experience and even let loose a bit of accidental magic.

She changed the sleeping girl into a pair of Teddy’s old pajamas. Hermione was about to tuck her into a guest bed when she felt a tug on her pants.

“Mum, she can stay with me.” He looked around the guest bedroom. “My room is for kids.”

Hermione let herself chuckle at her toddler. “Is that so?”

“Yes. This place is for big people.”

“And you don’t mind sharing?”

He gave her a toothy smile. “She shared her candy.”

So Hermione took the little girl and brought her into Teddy’s room, tucking her into his small cot. When she turned around, she saw that he had hastily changed into a pair of pajamas as well, with his shirt put on inside out. Hermione went over and brought the shirt over his head before fixing it and putting it on correctly. “I thought you weren’t tired, mister?”

“I’m gonna keep Lia safe. She was scared.”

Hermione nodded and kissed him on the cheek, watching her toddler crawl into the bed and curl himself around the older girl. He always did the same thing for her whenever she was upset.

Thoughts of an unconscious Draco Malfoy swarmed her head. Hermione felt her chest become unbearably tight and she knew she had to keep her promise to the little girl.

Hermione called her Patronus and watched as her wolf bound out of the room after instructing her to inform Harry to bring Malfoy to the cottage. She could only imagine, as a parent, him waking up without his daughter near him.

As she prepared a guest bed for him, she let her mind drift to the fact that Draco Malfoy had a daughter. Her heart twisted uncomfortably at the thought of him having a wife. It was ridiculous. She hadn’t seen or heard from Draco Malfoy in over _three years_!

Hermione couldn’t help but remember the way he watched her that night as she was under Bellatrix’s wand and knife. He looked like he was in agony as well, like he wanted to reach out and soothe her pain. She remembered the way he stared at her in the Room of Requirement the night of the Final Battle, the feel of his hands on her hips and the way his fingertips brushed the skin of her waist. She remembered the way his hot and frantic breath felt against her neck and she raced to safety on the broom and the way she felt when he left her side and ran away.

The closest thing that it felt like was heartbreak.

Her reverie was broken the moment Harry came into the room with an unconscious Draco Malfoy. Hermione immediately felt the need to tear apart whoever tried to attack him. His clothes were bloodied and he had a black eye that was so swollen Hermione didn’t think it would open.

“Sorry, ‘Mione, I had to wait for the other Aurors to arrive. There was only person at the scene, Rabastan Lestrange. They both were awake when I got there and battling pretty fiercely, Malfoy definitely took a couple of nasty hexes. We’ll have to follow through with the little girl to see how positive she is that there were two people there. Lestrange isn’t talking.”

“Not now,” Hermione growled at him, “she needs to sleep.”

Harry took one look at her protective stance and saw the brilliant amber in her eyes before he put his arms up in surrender and agreed. He watched as Hermione began to cast healing spells on Draco, although she noticed how Harry couldn’t sit still.

“Just go, Harry!” He looked at her with widened eyes. “I know you need to go back with the Aurors. I’ll be fine here with him. He doesn’t look like he has too many injuries. I’ll be able to heal them all.”

Harry nodded his head before leaning down, kissing her on the cheek and running out of the door.

Hermione Accio’d some of Harry’s pajamas he usually kept at her place before setting them aside on the bed. She carefully sliced off Draco’s shirt that was slick to his skin, taking her time to wash off all of the blood, healing every cut and bruise she uncovered along the way. She felt her face flush as her eyes lingered further down to the soft patch of blonde hair above his waist, wanting to touch it to see if it was as soft as it looked, but a hand reached out and grabbed her own. Her eyes shot up and she made contact with his steely grey stare.

“Granger?” Malfoy asked softly, before remembering the events that led to his losing consciousness and shot up from the bed. “Lia!” He rushed out, “Granger, you have to help me find my daughter. I don’t know what I’d do without her.” His voice broke and Hermione smiled at him.

“She’s here, Malfoy. She’s asleep right now. She had a burst of accidental magic and she’s a bit drained.”

“I need to see her.”

Hermione nodded and hesitantly took his hand in her own. She felt her heart rapidly pulse beneath her throat and swore the temperature raised about five degrees. She led him to her son’s room and cracked the door open, using the light from the hallway to shine through, allowing them to look at the sleeping children.

In the cot, Teddy had his arms looped around Lia’s neck and they both looked content where they were. Draco reached out and grabbed the door knob, pulling the door closed. He turned to Hermione in the hallway.

“Who’s the little boy?”

“That’s Teddy, he’s my son.” She felt Draco stiffen.

“I didn’t know you were married, Granger.” He tried to walk around her and back to the guest room. Hermione grabbed his wrist and stopped him. She brought her eyes up to look at his again, loving the way they swarmed with emotion.

“I didn’t know you were married either. You have a beautiful daughter.”

“I know, I always thought she looked just like you.”

Hermione blushed and cleared her throat. “Would you like some tea?”

Draco smirked at her sudden awkwardness and nodded, following her down the stairs and into a moderately large kitchen. He sat down on a stool at the island counter before watching Hermione busy herself to prepare tea.

“I’m not married.” She stopped her motions and put the kettle down slowly. “I’m sorry?” She asked, unsure of whether or not she heard him correctly.

“I’m not married. I adopted Lia after the war. I found her at Greyback’s hide almost completely malnourished. He had killed her Muggle parents and taken her; she had no one else.”

Hermione turned on the stovetop and walked over to sit on the stool next to Draco, placing her hand on his. “That was really lovely of you. I know exactly how you must have felt when you saw her. Teddy is not actually my blood; he is the son of Remus and Tonks Lupin, but we lost them both during the war. He just… attached himself to me. I tried to tell him that I wasn’t his mother but I eventually gave up. It broke my heart to see how upset he was over me denying being his mother. And now I don’t think I could live without him.”

Draco turned his hand around and intertwined their fingers together. “I’m sorry for your loss.” Hermione looked up and her breath hitched at the serious and solemn expression on his face.

She opened her mouth to say something but the kettle began to whistle. It took everything in Hermione to unlock their fingers and walk away. The room was silent for a few moments as she made their tea.

“I heard about the school you’re developing for Muggle-borns. I must say I’m very impressed.”

Draco scoffed. “Because you never imagined me doing anything to help them after all I’ve done?”

“No.” She set the steaming mug down in front of him. “Because it’s exactly what the wizarding world needs right now -  pure-blood challenging traditions and taking initiative to change. I would really love to help in anyway. Harry mentioned you started a few other charities as well, but to be honest, he never specified what they were.”

Hermione watched as he poured a teaspoon of honey into his tea and stirred. “I wanted to use the Malfoy fortune for good... for once. I started a home for the orphans of war. There was easily thirty children squeezed in a two story home and the owner didn’t make enough money to feed them three meals a day. At least now they are staying somewhere where they all have their own rooms, have multiple caretakers and plenty enough food. I’ve hired some tutors as well to start helping to prepare them for Hogwarts. The other is a bit more personal. It’s an organization purely focused on the research of werewolves. I just want my daughter to live in a better place. It enrages me every time I think she may need to go through life with a little shit bothering her like I did to you.”

Hermione surprised them both by twisting her fists into his shirt and pulling him into her, smashing her lips to his. Draco stilled at first, before wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her back. Hermione felt like she was purring beneath him as his tongue skillfully outlined her mouth, demanding entrance. Hermione pulled away panting and wanting nothing more to kiss his again and again and again.

“Beautiful,” he said softly, staring at her amber eyes. He allowed his fingertips to caress up the side of her neck and face. “I’m so sorry, Hermione.”

Her breath caught again as her name slipped from his lips. “For what?”

“Everything.” He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “But especially for that night.”

“Draco, you can’t blame yourself for what Bellatrix did.”

“No, not Bellatrix. Greyback. I couldn’t get to you in time to save you from this fate. I was too scared to face him as a man, and because of that you were bitten.”

“That was you?” Draco looked away and nodded. Hermione forced him to look at her, she could tell he actually thought it was his fault. “Draco, you saved me. You saved me from a life of being a monster’s mate. You saved me from a life of torture and rape. You… you took down one of the most vicious beasts to save me. How could I ever thank you?”

He smiled at her before giving her his signature smirk. “Kiss me?”

“I think I can do that.”

Hermione leaned forward and pressed a sweet kiss to his lips. When she pulled back, she rested her forehead against his and basked in his wonderful smell.

“Where do we go from here?” He asked as he played with a few of her curls.

“We’ll figure it out. ” Hermione stood up and gently pulled on his arm. ”But we’ll figure it out together.”

Draco smiled and followed her up the stairs. He went to go to the guest room he was in earlier, but Hermione tugged him away.

“Stay with me?”

“Isn’t this a bit fast, Granger? We have a lot to talk about and to get to know each other still. We haven’t even seen each other in three years.”

”Just come and hold me. Like I said, we’ll figure things out together. It doesn’t have to be all at once. I can’t deny the draw to you, Draco. I want you to be mine.”

Draco shivered at the hint of possessiveness in her voice and followed her into her room. He took off his shirt and slipped into the opposite side of the bed as Hermione. He immediately wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. She placed her head directly above his heart and draped her arm and leg over his body.

“This feels nice.” Draco closed his eyes and felt lulled to sleep.

“No,” she whispered, ”this feels right.”

 


End file.
